VIDEO: Veteran trader, Fitzy, slams council's decision to relocate Northampton Market to 'death row' car park on edge of town centre

A veteran market trader in Northampton has slammed the Conservative council's decision to relocate stalls as the "biggest mistake they've ever made."

Market traders and shoppers are furious after being told stalls will be moved to a car park on the edge of Northampton town centre for up to two years.

West Northamptonshire Council has identified Commercial Street car park, alongside the Carlsberg Roundabout, as their preferred site for the market once an £8.4million revamp of the Market Square gets under way in August.

Councillors insist the move will enable the whole market to be kept together.Eamonn 'Fitzy' Fitzpatrick, who has worked as a fruit and vegetable vendor in the Market Square for 58 years, said he is "gutted" with the decision and has called the Commercial Street site "death row."

Fitzy, 72, said: "It's heartless. Uncaring. I'm absolutely gutted. What they're going to do, after all these years, they're just going to wipe us out. They've got it all wrong. It's got to be the biggest mistake the Tories have ever made in this town, and they've made a few.

"They have not taken into consideration how the public of Northampton feel about this - they are horrified.

"Where are they sending us? Down there [Commercial Street]. Death row I call it. We're going to go down there in August/September, by Christmas it will be closed. I can't be any plainer than that.

"I told them last night I'm not [going to move to Commercial Street]. I've been here 58 years, since I was a kid. I came down here for a Saturday job and got 10 bob a day. I'm choked. I didn't think it would go this way. They're heartless.

"They've misread the mood of the town. People don't want to see this market go, but it will do.

"I gave them different sites around the town, they dismissed them saying it'll cost too much money. What a load of nonsense."

A frustrated Fitzy went on to call out past decisions made by Conservative-led councils, who he believes will be voted out at the next opportunity.

He said: "I'm telling you now, the public of Northampton are against this and they won't stand for it. And at the forthcoming elections in May, the Tories will be voted out. They are taking people for granted.

"They've made too many mistakes in this town: the bus station, Abington Street, the £10million that had gone missing. [Now they] are doing this to us. It's wrong.

"They have been badly advised and they are good at wasting money, and they are wasting money here. Boris sent them down £8million to revamp the market and reinvent the town centre, not to put us out of business.

"We're probably the busiest independent business in the town. I've forgotten more than they know about markets, I'm not being big-headed. I promise you, they've got it all wrong, and you will see.

"I could go on all day. I never thought it'd end like this. I feel sick as a parrot."

Going forward, Fitzy now plans to start a petition and stand against council leader Jonathan Nunn at the next local elections.

He said: "He's [Jonathan Nunn] threatening my business. We live in such a great country. England's the best country in the world but I don't like what's happening in it. I'll stand against him and ruffle a few feathers.

"I'll sling money at it. I've got plenty of people who will go out leafleting for me, and I'll do a good job.

"I'm going to start a petition. I'll get 20,000 signatures, I promise you. But I'm going to need some help. I need the people of Northampton behind me, which they are, but I can't do it all myself."

Councillor Lizzy Bowen, council Cabinet Member for Town Centre Regeneration, said: “We know many of the traders would have preferred to stay on Market Square while the redevelopment takes place, but this would cause significant delays and additional costs."

See Councillor Bowen's explanation in full here.Read more: Traders and shoppers' fury over Northampton Market move to car park on the edge of town centre